An SA-designed and built skyscraper is blowing a breath of fresh air through the architectural world. The Bahrain World Trade Centre, which opened last year in the capital Manama, has become the first commercial building in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design.

The three turbines will generate up to 15% of the building’s energy supply when fully operational. Two sail-shaped towers channel strong onshore winds directly onto the three turbines. Bahrain hopes the World Trade Centre will become the island emirate’s iconic landmark building, similar to the status of the Burj Al Arab luxury hotel in Dubai.

There is a strong SA role in these buildings — both were built by SA construction giant Murray & Roberts, which has a strong presence and reputation in the Middle East.

And the designer behind the World Trade Centre is South African Shaun Killa, design director in the region for Atkins, the world’s third-largest engineering and design consultancy firm.

In the 700-strong Dubai office of Atkins, Killa manages a team of 120 architects. They have been credited with revolutionising energy-efficient construction technologies for skyscrapers and have global awards to show for it.

Apart from turbines, Atkins has been credited with features such as spandrel panels and enhanced window glazing to make skyscrapers energy efficient in a region where millions are spent in each building on air conditioning.

Killa, an architectural graduate from the University of Cape Town, estimated he has been involved in the design of at least 40 skyscrapers in the region since he joined Atkins in 1998. He was part of the team that designed the Trump Tower and the 21st Century Tower, which for four years was the world’s tallest residential building. After winning the bidding for the V&A Waterfront, Dubai World asked Atkins and Killa to participate in working on the expansion of the waterfront.

Dubai rivals Shanghai and Beijing as the world’s largest urban construction site. The emirate is the world’s fastest-growing city state and plans to complete 616 high-rise buildings by 2009, from the current 250. - Sven Lünsche

Source: Financial Mail